Allen Brown
May 12, 1941 – August 22, 2024
Photos Courtesy of Billy Melville Collection
The World Professional Chuckwagon Association is mourning the passing of former chuckwagon driver and outrider Allen Brown on Thursday, August 22, 2024, after a battle with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 83.
Allen was born in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta on May 12, 1941, and was exposed to chuckwagon racing through former chuckwagon driver Jack Gill. In 1955, just two months after his 14th birthday, Allen made his debut as an outrider for Jack Gill at the Calgary Stampede. He continued to outride over the next few years, and just three years later when he was 17, Allen made his debut as a chuckwagon driver a the Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1958, driving a second wagon for Hally Walgenbach. For the next 35 years, Allen Brown would make his mark on chuckwagon racing.
Soon after, Allen went to live with and work for chuckwagon legend Bob Cosgrave. In 1963, Bob Cosgrave helped Allen assemble his first chuckwagon outfit and he returned to the Cheyenne Frontier Days that year as a chuckwagon driver with his own chuckwagon outfit. Allen turned professional in 1964, and competed in his first Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby as a chuckwagon driver that same year. Driving the Ray Zachariassen outfit, Allen’s debut run at Calgary saw him hooked against Jack Gill, (who he had made is debut for as an outrider at Calgary nine years earlier), “Sundown” Hank Markus, and former Rangeland Derby Champion Alvan Hilker. Allen not only won his first race at Calgary as a chuckwagon driver, but hit the pay window as well, placing a very respectable 14th overall on the night. He hit the pay window four times in six nights with his best being a ninth place run on the third performance. At a time when the Calgary Stampede cut the final night down to just the top 16 wagons, Allen was the only rookie driver to make the cut for the final night and placed 14th overall in his Stampede debut. 1964 also saw Allen win his first Calgary Stampede buckle when he was one of the winning outriders on the Pratt & McKay outfit driven by Hally Walgenbach.
It was mid June in 1965 when the chuckwagons rolled into Carbon, Alberta for the annual Carbon lions club race meet. The field was highlighted by two former champions in Bob Dimmer and Ronnie Glass, along with some other veteran chuckwagon drivers, 24 year-old Allen Brown, driving the Bailey & Day Outfit out of Calgary that stole the show, beating out veteran chuckwagon drivers Bob Cosgrave and Ronnie Glass who tied for second place, by 5 tenths of a second. It was the first victory for Allan Brown as a chuckwagon driver in just his second full season of driving on the professional circuit. throughout the remainder of the 1960’s, Allen continued to find success as a driver and outrider, and won his second Calgary Stampede championship as an outrider for Bob Cosgrave in 1967.
1970 was a turning point for Allen Brown. Driving under the canvas of Kenn Borek, Allen had the finest Calgary Stampede of his career. Hitting the money all nine night, placing inside the top ten seven out of nine runs, including four runs that cracked the top five. For the first time Allen qualified for the final heat on the final day, and ultimately placed third overall in the final Rangeland Derby Standings. He also finished the 1970 season off in third place in the World Standings- the best of his career. The 1971 Rangeland Derby was almost a carbon copy of 1970 for Allen Brown. He recorded his first Calgary Stampede day money money run on day 3, hit the money for first eight nights, and for the second consecutive year he qualified for the final heat on the final day in third place overall. However, on the final night he spilled his wagon and was pushed back to 16th overall. He finished the year in 10th place overall in the World Standings.
Allen took a break from driving chuckwagons between 1972 and and 1975, but continued to outride, winning his third Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Championship outriding for Kelly Sutherland’s winning outfit in 1975. He returned to driving in 1976 and competed in the Calgary Stampede’s Consolation Chuckwagon races, and made his final trip to the Cheyenne Frontier Days the same year. He won his 4th and final Rangeland Derby Championship outriding for Kelly Sutherland in 1977, and drove at his final Calgary Stampede in 1978. He was a founding member of the World Professional Chuckwagon Association (WPCA) in 1981, was honored with the WPCA’s Active Supporter Award, and retired from active competition that same year. Allen made a minor comeback for one year with the Peace Country Chuckwagon & Chariot Association in the early 1990’s, and acted as a chuckwagon Judge at different times for the WPCA throughout the 2000’s.
For over 30 years, Allen enjoyed a long and prosperous career in the chuckwagon business as an outrider, chuckwagon driver, and race official. As an active competitor, Allen Brown will be remembered as one of the great all-around chuckwagon athletes of his time, and one of the most accomplished and in-demand outriders of all time.
Allen is survived by his son Cody (Miranda), grandsons Chase, Nate, and Griffin, and granddaughters Christina, Kenidy and Cassidy. Allen was predeceased by his wife Sharon Fitzgerald. A Celebration of Allen’s Life will be held at a later date.
Allen will be missed by all in the WPCA, and we extend our sincere condolences to the Brown family.
Billy Melville
